By Wendy Dessler​As the new year rolls in, experienced PR firms are gearing up for the trends that look promising for the 2017 marketing year. Experts from around the world are weighing in and though the trends are broken down into smaller chunks, the inclination seems clear. 2017 will focus efforts around brand building activities and tools and web design. ​

Public Relations Trends To Follow 2017

Web Design Is Growing UpThe brand building tools that are built into the programs and apps easily available for our websites are used almost without thought. This is evident in the activity on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. People from 8 to 80 use these programs and the “gadgets” that make them entertaining every day. And with every click, the brand is being nurtured and is growing at the speed of light. Really cool websites are no longer reserved for the mega-companies with huge IT departments. Businesses have come to realize that their website is a major part of their business. In the modern world, a company’s website is very often their first introduction to the company. Before the consumer sends his first email, makes the first phone call, or buys the first widget, he will visit your website. If your website is out of date and unimpressive, this is his first opinion of your company. None of us want to be known as an unimpressive company. ContentIn 2016, content became royalty. More content was added to the internet, websites, blogs, and boards than ever before. This trend will continue and we expect the 2017 numbers to reflect content levels at record breaking highs. We can expect the content to be more sophisticated, transparent, and to mature as an avenue of educating the public on our brands. We will also see more companies targeting influencers to bring in new business. Influencers who report on their blogs, or on message boards or review boards will be highly sought after. PR firms will pay close attention to who is paying attention to them. AI-Powered Bots AI-powered bots have come a long way and in 2017 they will be utilized like never before. They will be more realistic and complex and will provide a wider range of services. They are designed with a personal touch to make clients want to use them. While bots will not have a significant impact on visuals, web designers will be more apt to integrate them and it will change the web design footprint. Conventional InterfaceThe conventional interface will make the bots seem more human. They will communicate more like a human and will be approachable. The technology behind this is impressive by any standards. VisualsLook for more professional photography on the internet, Stock photography is heading the way of clip art. It has its place, but not on your high-quality website. Virtual reality is still trying to break through and it is coming real close. There are VR 360 degree videos that are incredible and as VR becomes more popular to computer lovers and gamers, we can look to see more of it pressing through in the PR marketing world. While there are other trends that will impact marketing for this year, look for the big players to focus on their brand building, web designing, and content areas in a big way.